33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave #22 Korean Satire & Humor 

#22 “Gangnam Style,” “Parasite,” and Margaret Cho

 

*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드 #풍자와 해학: 강남 스타일, 기생충, 마가렛 조 <Korean version>

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Focus&document_srl=4083853

 

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” / Park So-dam in “Parasite” / Stand-up comedian Margaret Cho

 

“One does not kill by anger but by laughter.”

“Perhaps I know best why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche, “The Will to Power” (1901)-

There was a time in Korea when the TV show "If You Laugh, Blessings Will Come Your Way" dominated the airwaves. This legendary comedy program, which first aired on MBC-TV in 1969 and ran until 1985, experienced several revivals in the years that followed. It brought much-needed laughter to a nation under the shadow of a dictatorial regime during the 1970s. Comedians like Gu Bong-seo, Bae Sam-ryong, Baek Nam-bong, Seo Young-chun, Kwak Gyu-seok, Lee Ki-dong, Song Hae, Nam Bo-won, Nam Cheol, Nam Seong-nam, Yang Hoon, Yang Seok-cheon, Bae Yeon-jeong, and Bae Il-jip became household names, providing solace and humor in a time when political topics were taboo and laughter was a rare escape.

 

 

MBC-TV “If you laugh, blessings will come your way”

 

In an era of censorship and repression, these comedians found their creative outlet in everyday life. Skits such as “Great Legacy,” where a beggar educates his subordinates on the important dates of wealthy families, and “Greetings to Noblemen,” where commoners impersonate nobles to arrange marriages, cleverly highlighted the social divide and the psychology of the common people.

 

Laughter, it seems, was a survival tool, helping Koreans navigate those dark times with resilience. Gu Bong-seo, who passed away in 2016, once remarked in an interview, “There is laughter, but if you put it aside, sadness should come out of it. That’s what comedy is.” Laughter, in this context, was more than just amusement—it was a mask that concealed deep sorrow and hardship.

 

 

 Talchum-Mask Dance. Photo: Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)

 

The traditional Korean pansori Heungboga is ostensibly a tale of brotherly love and the triumph of good over evil. However, it also explores the dynamics between rich and poor through the characters of Nolbu, a wealthy landowner, and his impoverished brother Heungbu. Nolbu’s mischief, humorously cataloged at the start of the pansori, is laced with biting satire.

 

“Fanning a fire, feeding a crying child with feces, pouring feces down a well, sprinkling red pepper powder in his sore eyes, breaking up an end-of-the-line bargain, opening the jar cover when it rains...”

—Heungboga

 

Satire and humor are deeply embedded in the Korean psyche, serving as tools for critique and catharsis. Throughout history, Koreans have used art to mock societal absurdities and moral contradictions. Rather than seeking revenge for the accumulated sorrow of oppression, Koreans transformed their grief into exuberance, engaging with the public through joyous dance, song, and laughter. Forms like talchum (mask dance), pansori, genre paintings, and folk paintings capture this unique humor. Proverbs and riddles, too, are expressions of the people’s wit and linguistic artistry.

 

Koreans are a people of han (deep sorrow) and heung (joy). Perhaps the ability to transform han into heung is one of the driving forces behind today’s Korean Wave. This duality of grief and joy, expressed through satire and laughter, resonates with audiences worldwide, making Korean culture, from “Gangnam Style” to Parasite and beyond, a global phenomenon.

 

#Satire and Humor in Psy's “Gangnam Style”

 

Poster foreshadowing Psy’s appearance on NBC-TV’s “The Ellen Show” / Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video

 

Soul music, born in the 1950s and 60s under the influence of gospel and rhythm and blues (R&B), carries the weight of sorrow in its melancholic melodies and rhythms. In contrast, hip-hop, which emerged in the Bronx in the 1970s, channels anger and resistance through rapid-fire beats and direct lyricism. Koreans, however, have a unique talent for expressing anger not through confrontation but by wrapping it in layers of satire and humor.

 

On July 15, 2012, Psy’s music video “Gangnam Style” took the world by storm, heralding a new era for K-Pop. By its 10th anniversary in 2022, the video had amassed 4.47 billion views on YouTube, making it the 5th most-viewed music video in YouTube’s history.

 

“Gangnam Style” encapsulates the Korean spirit of satire and humor. In the video, Psy, donning sunglasses and a bow tie, exclaims, “Oppa, Gangnam Style!”—a comical portrayal of a man who aspires to the glitzy lifestyle associated with Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, often likened to New York’s Upper East Side or LA’s Beverly Hills. Despite his polished appearance, Psy’s behavior is anything but sophisticated. He lounges at a children’s playground, flirts awkwardly on the subway, dances wildly on a tour bus, takes a sauna with gangsters, and sits forlornly on a toilet. Psy is a wannabe—a caricature of a man who yearns to belong to the elite Gangnam culture but remains an outsider.

 

 

From Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (2012) music video / “City Lights” (1931) starring Charlie Chaplin

 

 

 

Psy's horse dance in "Gangnam Style" music video(2012) 

 

The original “Gangnam Style” music video resonated with audiences worldwide, serving as a gateway for K-Pop to enter the global mainstream. Psy’s viral hit not only accelerated the spread of the Korean Wave but also redefined South Korea’s cultural identity on the world stage. From K-Pop to K-Dramas to K-Food, Korean culture has become synonymous with trendy, cool cultural exports. Even Gangnam itself has become a sought-after tourist destination. In December 2012, then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson hailed “Gangnam Style” as “the greatest cultural masterpiece of 2012” in his Daily Telegraph column, acknowledging its profound impact on global pop culture.

 

 

#Bong Joon-ho and the Dark Humor of “Parasite”

 

Director Bong Joon-ho giving his thoughts after winning the Best Director trophy at the Academy Awards on 2020.

 

Director Bong Joon-ho, who studied sociology at Yonsei University, delves into the complexities of capitalist society, exploring themes such as class conflict and greed in his films. His masterpiece “Parasite,” which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and four Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and International Feature Film), is a tragic tale enriched with dark humor. Like his previous work, “Snowpiercer,” “Parasite” explores the clash between the upper and lower classes, but with a distinctive blend of satire and comedy.

 

If “Parasite” can be described as a “staircase film,” depicting class divisions in a vertical space that spans from a basement to a mansion on a hill, then “Snowpiercer” is a “train car film,” illustrating class divisions along a horizontal axis, from the luxurious front compartments to the squalid tail section. Both films reflect the rigid barriers that protect the bourgeoisie’s interests in capitalist society, and “Parasite” exposes the tragic consequences when the underclass dares to cross those lines.

 

 

"Parasite"(2019) by Bong Joon-ho 

 

In “Parasite,” social classes are symbolized not only by the characters’ living conditions and jobs but also by their smell. After Mr. Kim’s son, Ki-woo, poses as a university student to become a tutor for Mr. Park’s daughter, the rest of the Kim family infiltrates the Park household under false pretenses. Daughter Ki-jeong becomes an art therapist, father Ki-taek the driver, and mother Chung-sook the housekeeper. This con-artist family, hidden behind invisible masks, uses the Park mansion as their stage to perform a charade of respectability.

 

Their carefully constructed deception unravels when the former housekeeper, Moon-gwang, unexpectedly returns during a thunderstorm, leading to a clash between the lower classes. The ensuing chaos reveals the existence of an underground bunker beneath the mansion—a secret that threatens to upend the delicate balance of the Kim family’s scheme.

 

 

Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho, above) wearing an Indian chief's hat and participating in a role play at Da-song's birthday party in 'Parasite' / Books about mask dance (Talchum)

 

The film’s climax takes place during a lavish garden party held for Mr. Park’s son, Da-song. Ki-taek, disguised as a Native American chief in a farcical role-play, symbolizes the final masking of his identity. The party descends into chaos as Geun-se, the hidden resident of the bunker, emerges to turn the celebration into a bloodbath. When Mr. Park recoils at the smell of Geun-se, Ki-taek, driven by humiliation and rage, lashes out with a kitchen knife.

 

In “Parasite,” Mr. Park’s disdain for those who “cross the line” encapsulates the bourgeoisie's desire to maintain their privileged status, while the lower class yearns to breach these boundaries. Although the Kim family manages to infiltrate the Park household through deceit, the “old radish” smell of poverty, as Mr. Park derogatorily describes it, betrays their true status. This olfactory marker of their semi-basement existence becomes the trigger for Ki-taek’s violent outburst, a metaphor for the deep-seated resentment and helplessness of the underclass.

 

 

The Servant"(1963) by Joseph Losey

 

One of the films that influenced Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” is Joseph Losey’s 1963 thriller “The Servant,” written by Harold Pinter. Set in a mansion in England, it depicts a reversal of power dynamics between a servant and his master, reflecting the hierarchical society. However, unlike “The Servant,” “Parasite” unfolds its class conflict within a family context, using dark humor to amplify the absurdities of a system that imprisons both the rich and poor in their respective roles.

 

Bong’s work also echoes the themes of “Battleship Potemkin” (1925), Sergey Eisenstein’s depiction of a mutiny sparked by the sailors’ revolt against being served rotten, maggot-infested meat. Similarly, in “Parasite,” Mr. Kim’s breaking point occurs during the garden party, when Mr. Park’s dismissive reaction to the smell of the lower class ignites a murderous rage. The scent, as much a symbol of class as it is of identity, serves as the catalyst for the film’s tragic finale.

 

 

"Parasite"(2019) by Bong Joon-ho

 

Despite its tragic underpinnings, “Parasite” is laced with comical situations that lighten its dark narrative. The film opens with Ki-woo and Ki-jeong desperately searching for free Wi-Fi in their semi-basement home, a comical yet poignant illustration of their struggle for survival. Ki-woo’s fabricated resume and the parody song “Jessica’s Jingle,” sung at the Park mansion’s door, have become iconic moments that blend humor with social commentary.

 

The scheming to replace the housekeeper with Chung-sook, by faking an allergy-induced tuberculosis scare, showcases the Kims’ inventive yet morally ambiguous methods of survival. This delicate balance between comedy and tragedy culminates in the chaotic birthday party, where the meticulously plotted scheme unravels into a bloody spectacle.

  

Director Bong Joon-ho and the 'Parasite' team are holding a discussion session at the 2019 New York Film Festival. Photo: FSLC

 

During the 2019 New York Film Festival, actress Park So-dam, who played Ki-jeong, playfully distributed peaches to the audience, referencing the fruit that symbolized the family’s deception. At the 2020 Academy Awards, Bong Joon-ho’s acceptance speech was equally memorable. Instead of a long list of acknowledgments, he quipped, “If the Academy allows, I would like to get a Texas chainsaw, split the award into five and share it with all of you. Thank you. I will drink until next morning.” His wit and humility, infused with Korean black humor, left an indelible impression on the audience, underscoring that his brilliance extends beyond the screen.

 

“Parasite” is not just a film about class struggle; it’s a cinematic masterpiece that weaves together tragedy and comedy, using humor as a tool to expose the absurdities and injustices of society. Bong Joon-ho’s sharp, satirical vision and his skillful use of dark humor have crafted a film that resonates deeply with audiences worldwide, highlighting the universal nature of inequality and the human capacity for resilience and resistance.

 

 #Margaret Cho: The Queen of Stand-up Comedy

 

Margaret Cho / 2012 Margaret Cho and her parents (Mr. Seung-hoon Cho and Mrs. Young-hee Cho) / Margaret with her mother in the 1970s. Photo: https://margaretcho.com  

 

Margaret Cho, whose Korean name is Cho Moran (meaning "Peony"), is the trailblazing stand-up comedian who first introduced the United States to the idea that Koreans can be hilarious. Her father, Seung-Hoon Cho, was a humorist who wrote columns for Korean newspapers and ran a bookstore called “Paperback Traffic” in San Francisco.

 

Inspired by her father, Margaret grew up frequenting the comedy club next to the bookstore, nurturing her dream of becoming a comedian. After winning a comedy contest, she was invited to perform on “The Bob Hope Show,” serving as the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld. Her career quickly took off as she toured colleges across the country, breaking barriers as one of the few female and Asian comedians in the American comedy scene.

 

 

'All-American Girl'(1994), ABC-TV 

 

In 1994, Margaret Cho won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Stand-Up Comic, in a year when Robin Williams and Meg Ryan were recognized for their roles in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” respectively. That same year, she starred in the ABC sitcom “All-American Girl,” making history as the first Asian American family sitcom on a major U.S. network.

 

However, the show faced severe challenges. Producers criticized her for her weight and appearance, prompting Cho to undergo a dangerous crash diet that led to kidney failure. After the show aired, she faced backlash from the Asian community for allegedly perpetuating stereotypes and criticism from producers for being "too Asian" or "not Asian enough." The sitcom struggled with ratings and was canceled after just one season.

 

In my 2010 interview with Margaret Cho for The Korea Daily (JoongAng Ilbo), she shared insights on her journey with her signature humor:

 

How do you respond to racial discrimination attacks against yourself?

"I don't really know. I can only respond with humor... because that's our only form of resistance. Women and LGBTQ individuals have been marginalized by the dominant culture for a long time. So, how do we maintain our strength? It's by biting back at those who mistakenly believe they can oppress us. The power of our words should not be underestimated."

 

What do you want to do on a leisurely day?

"There are no leisurely days. I'm Korean."

 

As an Asian woman, what's the key to success?

"I don't really know, but it's probably perseverance."

 

Through her resilience, humor, and unapologetic authenticity, Margaret Cho has not only carved out a space for herself but has also opened doors for countless others in the entertainment industry. She remains a powerful voice for marginalized communities, proving that comedy can be both a weapon and a shield.

 

 

 Descendants of 'Queen of Comedy' Margaret Cho  

 

Asian American representation and the changing face of comedy

 

Margaret Cho was the first Asian woman to break the glass ceiling in the predominantly white, male-dominated world of stand-up comedy. She not only defied stereotypes about Asians but also redefined what it meant to be a comedian in America. What was the secret to her success? Perhaps it lies in her ability to use humor, satire, and comedy as a means of coping with trauma and resentment, a quality often associated with the Korean spirit. Following in the footsteps of her father, Seung-hoon Cho, a humorist who brought laughter to audiences, Margaret truly embodied the saying, “Like father, like daughter.”

 

Her path to success, however, was anything but easy. She recalls a moment when, at the age of 14, she told her mother of her dream to become a comedian, only to be met with the response, “Oh, maybe it’s better if you just die.” Despite such discouragement, Margaret Cho persevered, ultimately realizing her dream and paving the way for future generations of Asian comedians.

 

In May 2010, during Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the Asia Society’s San Francisco branch hosted a panel titled “Beyond ‘Ching-Chong,’ or The Changing Face of Comedy.” The derogatory term “Ching-Chong” mocks Asian speech patterns, particularly Chinese intonation. The panel featured LA comedienne Tina Kim, Indian comedian Samson Koletkar, and San Francisco comedian Edwin Li, who all cited Margaret Cho, Russell Peters, and Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow as their role models. These trailblazers shattered the stereotype that “Asians have no sense of humor” and demonstrated that comedy could be a viable career path for Asian performers.

 

Asian American representation and the changing face of comedy

 

In May 2022, to celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), ABC News aired a special segment titled “Asian American Representation and the Changing Face of Comedy,” featuring Jo Koy. The program included an interview with Margaret Cho, who paved the way for comedians like Ali Wong and Hasan Minhaj, who rose to prominence decades later.

 

Reflecting on her legacy, Margaret Cho said, “I’m excited to see so many different Asian American comedians now. My greatest achievement isn’t really my work as it stands on its own, but the fact that I influenced an entire generation to pursue their dream in stand-up comedy. That, to me, is more important than anything else.”

 

Today, a new wave of Asian comedians, including Bobby Lee, known for his Kim Jong-il parodies; Steve Byrne, an Irish-Korean comedian who has appeared on shows like “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman”; Aziz Ansari and Hasan Minhaj, both Indian-American; Jo Koy, of Filipino descent; Ali Wong, of Vietnamese and Chinese heritage (winner of the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in “Beef” in 2024); Jimmy O. Yang, of Chinese descent; and Kumail Nanjiani, of Pakistani heritage, all continue the legacy of Margaret Cho. Her pioneering work has opened doors for these comedians, expanding the boundaries of what it means to be funny and Asian in America.

 

 

The global success of "Gangnam Style," "Parasite," and Margaret Cho illustrates the transformative power of humor and satire in Korean culture. Each, in its own way, challenges stereotypes, confronts social issues, and transcends cultural boundaries through the universal language of laughter. Whether it’s Psy’s playful critique of consumerism, Bong Joon-ho’s darkly comedic exploration of class struggle, or Margaret Cho’s fearless stand-up that redefines Asian identity, these cultural icons embody a uniquely Korean resilience and creativity. They have not only made the world laugh but have also offered poignant reflections on the human condition, proving that humor can be a powerful tool for change and connection. Through their work, they remind us that laughter is not just an escape from reality but a way to understand and, ultimately, transform it.

 

 

Artists in the Joseon era who satirized the lives of the yangban (aristocratic class). Kim Hong-do (1745-1806), “Tajakdo,” from the “Danwon Pungsokhwacheop” collection, Treasure No. 527, National Museum of Korea/ Shin Yun-bok (1758-1814), “Cheongeumsangryeon/Yeondangyayu”, from the “Hyewon Pungsokdocheop” collection, National Treasure No. 135, Gansong Art Museum.

 

 

Sukie Park 

A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people. She is also the author of the book recently-published in Korea, "한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드: 방탄소년단(BTS), '기생충' 그리고 '오징어 게임'을 넘어서 (33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game)."